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First Debate Drinking Game

Original post made
by Tom Cushing, Danville,
on Oct 3, 2012

Okay politifans, we now know from the respective debate camps that neither candidate can conjugate a verb  or communicate with more sophistication than grunts, growls and flung organics. That sounds tedious, so here's a tolerable way to get you through the First Debate on domestic policy:

1  choose your libation and have it available in significant quantity. If you are not at-home, please designate a driver.

2  listen carefully, and follow directions for a sip, a gulp or a chug, depending on circumstances (please note that this distinction may become more difficult as the debate progresses, so preparation is key), and

3  if you are not of the libating persuasion, then soberly keep a count of the occurrences of each term below, and share it in Comments. The rest of us will read it tomorrow.

On a more serious note, as you observe the candidates, tune into their non-verbal cues. Will Obama show disdain? Will Romney seem over-anxious to impress? Will either candidate betray their true emotional state via fleeting "micro-expressions," odd gestures, or other body language? (Cf. generally the work of Paul Ekman of UCSF on the fascinating subject of lie detection  it's a lot more than "his lips were moving.") We absorb the words, but to an under-appreciated extent our eyesight is also attuned to the tone, looks, mannerisms and other body language cues.

Just to show you how much better Governor Romney did last night than President Obama, even all of the liberal media outlets admitted that Governor Romney clearly won the debate. I actually think this will be a turning point in this election. The voters yesterday got to see the two candidates actually intelligently debate the issues, instead of seeing false campaign rhethoric ads with false claims. When the voters got the chance to see the two alternatives last night, it was crystal clear that Mr. Romney is the best choice to lead our country forward.

The Democrats have been running one of the dirtiest, mean spirited, and false claim smear campaign against Mr.Romney, but yesterday the voters got to see the facts and evidence presented, without spin, and Mr.Romney hit a grand slam.

Mr. Romney, much like the Oakland A's, were wrongly written off by the media and the so-called experts, but I believe it will be President Romney who will be welcoming the World Champion Oakland A's to the white house next year!

Win Romney! Obama, without his little TelePrompTer was the equivalent of a 6th grade debater. Watch for some filthy tricks, lies, slander, half truths from the left progressive, liberal Socialists( the old democrats). We saw a man who has been the direct product of affirmative action programs-----bent rules....special treatment.....unqualified promotions.....against real presidential material.

Chris Christie's crystal ball worked pretty well. He said come "Thursday morning you'll find Obama's campaign turned on it's ear" "Romney will do extraordinarily well in the debate". ! !
Tis a very good Thursday !
We the people finally, got the see the REAL Romney, without the distortions of leftist media, killer Obama ads of lies, and pundits who've never met Romney attempting to spin with lies, what inside his head...
It was nice to have an ADULT 'debate', with time for intelligent discussion on subjects, instead of one minute sound-bite answers, to too many, often silly quesstions.
I've met Romney several times. The tragedy is that we had to suffer so long, when he should have won last time. We all would be so much better off today.
Today Obama is out continuing his college campaigning. Kids who had never had a job elected Obama.Pundits today said Obamas focus until election is college kids, age group 18-29, Latinos and blacks. Brainwashed kids convinced their parents to check their experienced brains at the door. This time, hopefully, adults will think like adults in the real world. So Obama is doubling down on kids, who have yet to pay taxes.

Well, we did see ONE of the real Romneys. The previous Romney said that he would cut income tax rates 20% across the board. In the debate, this Romney said that he would not cut taxes for the wealthy. I wonder what the next Romney will say?

My problem is that I don't know which Romney I will be voting for when I cast my ballot? He had been promising a 20% tax cut for the wealthy while campaigning prior to the debate. During the debate, he denied that tax cut promise. It makes me wonder what else he might change sides on? anti-choice to pro-choice (He was pro-choice in the past but has campaigned in this election as anti-choice. Maybe he will return to pro-choice. Who knows?) He may have won on technical points but I have no idea what he believes and will do any more.

We'll all have to keep an eye on Obama if kids elect him again. He's never told us his plans, But we do know it could be over-the-top in all areas. Our only hint was his whisper to Putin, "just wait until the election's over, then I'll have more leeway and flexibility, when I won't have to worry about any more elections". Scary !
We might get "changes" never dreamed of.
America could have crap that we would suffer from...forever. Too late to go back....a whole new America ! Scary. We know that going in, so how could anybody possibly risk it all.

Romney hasn't flip flopped on taxes. His plan has always been to cut all individual tax rates by 20% and to pay for it by reducing tax preferences for things like mortgage interest deductions, charitable contributions, not paying tax on employer-provided health care, etc.

The problem is, Romney's numbers don't add up. It's impossible to obtain a 20% tax rate reduction without reducing revenue. Romney says his goal is to "not add to the deficit." Ok fine, Mr. Romney, but how about CUTTING the deficit? You're not going to get there by cutting Big Bird.

Obama's numbers are even worse. His proposals RAISE taxes by $1.3 trillion and would still add nearly $3 trillion to the budget deficit by 2022.

1 -- In re "Reagan did," he was neither a plutocrat nor did he have to answer to the Billionaire Boys Club that brung him to the dance. Reagan also exploded the deficit, and stimulated the economy with a defense build-up.

2 -- also, sp, I measured out of concern for the same kind of internal bias you noted in your comment. It looked that way, and I wanted to confirm that it wasn't my misperception. (and BTW, the chair comment? I wrote it before I saw this week's NYer cover -- didn't want you worry unnecessarily, all over again ;-) ).

3 -- It mystifies me that Romney gets away with claiming he'd be The Great Mediator. In Massachusetts, all he had to deal with, in his one term, was some relatively pliant Dems -- here, he'd have them, too -- but his Much Bigger Problem would be with his own rabid TPers. They would expect their guy to do their bidding, and Only their bidding. At the first sign of conciliation, they'd plow him under like an Iowa cornfield.

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